Their love of coaching a common bond for Cupps family
Father and sons have different personalities, but their approaches to coaching are similar.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
ST. PARIS — One brother chose to coach basketball, the other chose football. Their father coached baseball, and just about any other sport his sons decided to play.
Can you guess the topic of conversation at a Cupps family gathering?
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Get latest headlines via RSS feedsBrook Cupps, a 1995 Graham graduate, is leading the boys basketball team to its first state tournament appearance today, March 13. The Falcons play Toledo Libbey in a Division II state semifinal at 10:45 a.m. at the Schottenstein Center.
John Cupps, a 1987 Graham graduate, was an assistant coach for two Graham football playoff teams and now coaches at Springfield.
Their father, Ray, coached the Graham baseball team for 11 seasons, and was an assistant on the 1995 state runner-up baseball team.
"We're always talking about program things, team things, how to build the program," John said. "We get all that from dad. He seems kind of quiet and laid-back, but as a disciplinarian goes, he don't take too much from anybody."
All three Cupps men have their own unique personalities, but they share many traits — competition, a love of sports, and the uncanny knack to teach those qualities to teenagers among them.
"Coaching is coaching; it doesn't matter what sport it is," Brook said. "The idea for me is, 'How do you get the most out of the kids?' You have to figure out what's best for your kids and how to get the most out of them. You want them to play at a high level. Plus, they have to play the right way, and play the right way all the time."
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ontact this reporter at (937) 328-0366 or bplasters@coxohio.com.
